d on it for about three days, it would be ready.

So we all started to hike it along the road to Little Valley. We had an
adventure before we got there, and I guess I'd better ten you about it.
I made a map too, so you can see the way everything was. It's about five
miles to Little Valley by the road.

Well, we were an hiking it along, sometimes going scout-pace and most of
the time jollying Pee-wee, when all of a sudden I noticed a mark on a
rock that I was sure was a scout mark. It was an arrow and it was marked
with a piece of slate. Underneath the arrow was another mark like a pail,
so I knew the sign meant that there was water in that direction.

I didn't know any scouts around our way that could be camping there, but
whenever a scout sees a scout sign he usually likes to follow it up. So
I told the fellows I was going to follow if there was any time. They said
it was an old last year's mark, but go ahead if I wanted to, and I told
them I'd meet them at Little Valley later. So now comes the adventure.
As soon as I left the fellows, I hit the trail into the woods just like
you'll see on the map I made. It wasn't much of trail and I guess a
fellow couldn't follow it if he wasn't a scout. It was all thick woods
like a jungle kind of, and I could see where branches had been broken
by somebody that passed there. Pretty soon it began to get swampy and
there wasn't any more trail at all.

Illustration #2

"A map"

As long as there's any sign of a trail you can't get me rattled, but
cracky, I don't like marshes. You can get lost in a marsh easier than
in any other place. Pretty soon I was plodding around deeper than my
knees and it gave me a strain every time I dragged my leg out of the
swamp. Maybe you'll wonder why I didn't go back, but if you do, that's
because you don't know much about marshes. All of a sudden I was right
in the middle of it, as you might say, and there were no landmarks at
all.

Pretty soon I was in waist deep and then I was scared, you can bet. If
there's one thing that gets me scared it's quicksand. As long as I could
get my legs out I was all right, but when I began sinking as low as my
waist and had to drag myself out by squirming and catching hold of bushes
and things, then I lost my nerve--I have to admit it.

I saw I was a fool ever to go into that pesky place, but it was too late
and I knew that pretty soon I'd be in too deep to get out. Oh, jiminies,
I was scared. Once, after I scram